Android version of Super Stickman Golf hits a hole-in-one

Is this the next Angry Birds? No, but it’s fun and addictive in a similar way. If you like challenging physics-style games or are a golf fan, you’ll love Super Stickman Golf. But, you’ll need to look elsewhere for flashy graphics or cute sound effects.

The games play out on an impossible golf course where greens float on pedestals in the air, and water hazards and sand traps live around every corner. You control the angle of the swing and the power behind it with touch-screen controls. Your goal: To get the ball to the green in the fewest strokes. The courses come in three levels of difficulty — beginner, intermediate and advanced — and the challenges of the course increase as you level up.

It’s a blast to play. Like Angry Birds, you’ll think you’ve got it figured out, but you’ll be wrong and end up 10 strokes over par before you know it. The game cleverly lays out a hole with tunnels, caves, cliffs and the ever-present water and sand. Special power-ups are available like the Mulligan (a one-stroke do-over), the Ice Ball (freeze the water hazard), Nitro Ball (for extra height), Super Ball (more bounce) and so on.

What’s lacking? Well, Angry Birds sells like hotcakes, in part, because of the cute characters and the soundscape details like the grunts and trills of the suicidal birds. This game has none of that, but you’ll still lose hours of your life playing it.